Mandarin Airlines (AE, Taichung Ching Chuan Kang) has ordered one incremental ATR72-600 directly from ATR - Avions de Transport Régional with delivery planned for the first quarter of 2026.
The aircraft will become the sixteenth ATR72-600 in Mandarin Airlines' fleet which comprises twelve of the type, including two delivered earlier this year. It has three more ATR72-600s on a firm order from the manufacturer, with deliveries scheduled for the second half of 2025.
The regional subsidiary of China Airlines (which owns a 96.96% stake) said it would use the aircraft to strengthen its domestic network. Mandarin Airlines operates mainly between the main island of Taiwan and the territory's smaller islands, Penghu and Kinmen. It serves nine domestic destinations, as well as Fuzhou, Xiamen, and Wuhan in mainland China, and Ho Chi Minh City in Viet Nam.
Having retired all E190s as of 2023, Mandarin Airlines currently has an all-ATR72-600 in-house fleet. It also wet-leases a B737-800 from its parent.